Russian military to stay in Syria as long as govt army needs this - Komoyedov
MOSCOW. Aug 9 (Interfax-AVN) - The Russian military group will stay in Syria for the sufficient period of time to help the governmental army fight terrorists, Duma Defense Committee head, Russian Black Sea Fleet former commander Adm. Vladimir Komoyedov told Interfax on Tuesday.
"I think that we will stay in Syria as long as it is needed," he said.
"Now the main objective is that the Syrian governmental army will liberate the territory of the country from terrorists and that the country will restore the status quo. And we will help them," Komoyedov said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin submitted an agreement between Russia and Syria to deploy a Russian Armed Forces aviation group in Syria for ratification to the State Duma. The agreement was signed in Damascus on August 26, 2015.
"We were always represented by the naval flag in Syria. We have always operated the ships on combat service in Tartus; a small base has been there to provide the ships in the Mediterranean Sea with supplies. The large formation of aviation and maritime forces will heighten the control and will help acting against international terrorists more effectively," the admiral said.
On January 14, the official legal information portal has published an agreement between Russia and Syria, dated on August 26, 2015, on the deployment of a Russian aviation group for an unlimited period of time and on a gratis basis in the area of the Hmeimim aerodrome, Latakia province.
The Russian military operation in Syria has been conducted since September 30, 2015. The Russian combat aviation backs the Syrian army ground operations.
Russian warplanes are based on the Hmeimim aerodrome in the Syrian province Latakia. As many as 24 Russian attack aircraft and no less than ten helicopter gunships are left in Syria after the reduction of the group, media reported.
In March, the command of the Russian group in Syria said officially that the Russian special operation forces had been operating in Syria. In July, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that the Syrian troops had liberated nearly 600 populated localities from the militants with active support of aviation and artillery of the Russian group.
